Grain strip and side sill reinforcement



Nev, 19 1957 A. E. JAl-:cKLE

GRAIN STRIP AND SIDE SILL REINFORCEMENT Filed June 19, 1953 United States Patent O GRAIN STRIP AND SIDE SILLRENFOIIICEMENT Albert E. Jaeckle, Floral. Park, N. Y.

Application .lune` 19, 1953,1Serial1No.362,881

s Claims. t (ci. s-424) for weevils and also the moisture of condensation or` otherwise moistens the grain considerably enhancing the corrosive conditions of side sheets, sidessill angles, and.

the wall posts of` the car. A

lt is, therefore, the principal `object of the invention to provide a metallic grain strip for such cars which is constructed and arranged in the wall of `the car..adjacent the floor thereof so that `it will completely `drain all, grain within the car wall ontothe car oor and at the same time add considerable reinforcement `to the, carside sill.

It is also an objectof this `invention to designthe grain strip and sill reinforcement so `that itis applicable to a standard Association of `American Railroads box car without in `any way changing partstoaccommodate same.

Other objects and yadvantages of the `invention will appear in the following description thereof.

Referring now to the accompanying drawing forming part of thisl application and iwhereinlike reference characters indicate-like parts:

Fig. l is a broken vertical cross section through one wall of a railway box car` illustrating the preferred form of my improved combination grain strip and side `sill reinforcement.

"Fig 2 is a partial sideelevationiof "Eig. fl. y

Fig. 3 is a `cross-sectional viewof alower outer corner of a box car illustrating a modified form of the invention.

Figs. 4, S and 6 are views similar to Fig. 2 of further modified forms of the invention.

In the drawings the side sill of an ordinary railway box car is shown at 10 and this usually comprises a 6 x 31/2 angle which is disposed with the long leg vertical and the short leg horizontal, as shown in all views excepting Fig. 4, in which view the long leg is horizontal. The side sill angle is supported by the car underframe, not shown. The side wall posts 11, which are ordinarily Z-bars, are vertically disposed and horizontally spaced and are riveted at their lower ends, as at 12, to the vertical leg of the side sill, and the upper ends of said posts are riveted, as at 13, to the outer downturned flange 14 of the side plate 15, which has an upturned inner ilange 16 to which the roof sheets 17 are secured in any desired manner. To the inner flange of the side posts 11 is secured, as is common, the car lining 18 which extends from adjacent the car roof to adjacent the car door, as shown. Also the inner ange of the Z-posts 11 are cut away adjacent the car floor so that the bottom of the ange and bottom of said wall lining are about in the same horizontal plane.

2,813,497 Patented Nov. 1 9, `19.57

Extending between the lower end of the` webs of the side posts 11 are the improved grain bevel strip and oor support members, each comprising an outer upper ange 20, riveted as at 21, to side sheathing 22, the lower margin of which is riveted to the upper margin of the side sill and to the outer ange of the side wall posts, as at 23, and 24, respectively.

Each grain strip also includes a downwardly and inwardly inclined portion 25, a downturned vertical portion 26, an outwardly extending open bend 27 and a double thickness inwardly extending horizontal portion 28, made by bending the material backwardly upon itself, and which portion rests upon the inner margin of the shorter leg of the side sill angle 10 to which it is welded, as at Z9. The ends of the inclined portion 25 may be welded, as at 29', to the webs of the side posts 11, and said portion `25 is spaced from the bottom edge of lining 18 so as to form a longitudinal slot along the side Wall of the car to permit any grain getting behind the lining to drain therefrom on to the car floor as the car is unloaded.

Since one of the purposes of the invention is to strengthen the side sill angle, it will be noted that when the improved grain strip is applied, as above described, the grain strip and side sill form a box section, materially increasing the strength of the sill angle.

The horizontal portion 28 of the grain strip is also for supporting the ends of the floor boards 3l),` which rest thereupon, and to support said boards in such a Way that shorter boards may be used for the flooring, which boards may be removed for repair or replacement without disturbing the side lining. To accomplish this the inclined portion 25' extends inwardly sutliciently so that the portion 26 occurs in the same vertical plane as the inner surface of the lining 18. Ends of oor Vboards 30 butt against portion 26 and thus may be removed or replaced without disturbing any other part of the car. The bend 27, extending outwardly from lower edge of portion 26, is merely for the purpose of providing means to overlap the outer margin of the horizontal leg` of side sill 10.

Theuse of this grain strip and sill reinforcement `also eliminates the ordinary triangularly shaped wooden grain strip for the same purposeand maintains `a perfectly dry corner, eliminating almost entirely the corrosive conditions ordinarily existing in a standard car in` this area.

In Fig. 3 the construction is substantially identical ,to that just described and shown in Fig. 1 and, consequently,

the same reference characters are used to indicate like parts. The only difference between the structures of Figs. l and 3 is that in Fig. 3 the grain strip and sill reinforcement is constructed of heavier material and thus the lower horizontal part 31 for supporting the floor boards need not be folded back upon itself to provide the strength necessary, as is the case in Fig. l.

In Fig. 4 the side sill is turned with the long leg of angle 10 disposed horizontally and the short leg vertically which is a departure from the standard Association of American Railroads construction. The short leg of the sill angle does not provide sutlicient area for good connection of the side posts 11 thereto, and, therefore, I have provided an angle bracket 40, one legl of which is riveted, as at 41, to the web of the side post, and the other leg of which is riveted, as at 42, to the long leg of the side angle 1). The grain strip and sill reinforcement in this instance comprises an upper marginal portion 43, a downwardly and inwardly inclined portion 44 and an inner vertical portion 45 which extends to and is welded to the long leg of sill angle, as at 46. Floors boards 30 rest upon the protruding margin of said long leg and abut against portion 45 which is in the same vertical plane as lining 18.

In Fig. 5 the grain strip and sill reinforcement is formed in two parts. One part 50 has one margin riveted, as at 51, to the shorter leg of the side sill and the other margin is offset slightly and extends outwardly providing a support for the ends of the floor boards 30. The other part of the grain strip comprises the vertical margin 52, riveted as at 21, to the side sheathing, the inclined portion 53 and the inner vertical portion 54 which extends in the plane of lining 13 down to portion 50 where it is welded, as at 55, thereto. An advantage in the two piece construction, as in Fig. 4, is that the part S may be made of heavier material.

The grain strip and sill reinforcement shown in Fig. 6 is also of two parts. One part 60 is disposed horizontally and welded at 61 to the side sill and then bent backwardly and upwardly, as at 62, and then vertically, as at 63, where it is welded, as at 64, to the lower vertical margin 65 of the other part of the strip. Lower edge of margin 65 is welded, as at 66, to portion 60. The upper margin `67 of said other part of the strip is secured by rivets 21 to side sheathing 22, and between portions 67 and 65, the strip extends downwardly and inwardly, as at 68.

A further advantage of making the grain strip and sill reinforcement in two parts, as in Figs. and 6, is that the iioor supporting part 50 or 60 may be a continuous strip extending from end to end of the car, and not merely between the posts, as is the case with the other part of the grain strip.

In all modifications the upper part of the grain strip must be coped out to fit around the web of the wall posts, as shown in Fig. 2, and when said strips abut, inwardly of the inner edge of the wall posts 11, they may be welded together, as at 60.

All modifications provide complete drainage of grain from behind the side lining, a support for the ooring, permits any kind of work being done to the floor without disturbing the side lining, adds considerable strength to the side sill member, and prevents corrosive conditions of side sheets and sill angles.

. I claim:

1. In a railway car, in combination, a side sill having angupturned and an inturned flange, side wall posts secured at their lower ends to one of said anges and having web portions extending normal to said wall, outside sheathing secured along its lower margin to said upturned flange, and inside lining spaced from said sheathing, a grain strip having an upstanding margin secured to said sheathing, a downwardly and inwardly inclined portion, adownturned portion substantially in the plane of said inside lining, and a lateralportion resting upon said inturned ange Yand secured thereto extending inwardly -beyond said ange to form a support for the end margins of floor boards of the car, whereby said boards may be removed or applied without interference with the car lining, said grain strips extending between adjacent side posts and being coped at their ends to overlap the web portions, said coped ends being welded to said web portions and to each other.

2. In a railway car, a side sill having an upturned and an inturnediiange, side wall posts secured at their lower ends to one of said anges and having web portions extending normal tol said wall, side wall sheathing secured along its lower margin to said upturned ange, a grain strip having an upstanding outer margin secured to said sheathing, a downwardly and inwardly inclined portion, a downturned portion extending to and secured along its lower edge to said inturned flange intermediate its ends, the portion of said inturned ange extending inwardly of said downturned portion forming a support for the ends of lioor boards of the car, said grain strips extending between adjacent side posts and being coped at their ends to overlap the web portions, said coped ends being welded to said web portions and to each other.

3. In box car construction, in combination, a side sill comprising an angle having a pair of anges, side wall posts secured at their lower ends to one of said iianges and having web portions extending normal to said wall, outside sheathing secured along its lower margin to one of said tianges, a grain strip, side sill reinforcement and oor board support, comprising Prefabricated members secured at one side margin to said sheathing adjacent said one of said angle anges, and secured along the other side margin to the other of said angle anges, each of said members having an intermediate portion in angular relationship with said anges, said other side margin having a portion issuing therefrom parallel with said other angle flange for the support of the end margin of the oor of the car, said members extending between adjacent side posts and being coped at their ends to overlap the web portions, said coped ends being welded to said web portions and to each other, whereby said Prefabricated member and the included portion of the side sill form a box section increasing the strength of said side sill.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,001,692 Rich May 14, 1935 2,144,450 Comee et al Jan. 17, 1939 2,207,361 Thompson July 9, 1940 2,335,216 l Suckeld Nov. 23, 1943 2,591,006 Radey Apr. 1, 1952 

